The Android Project Reviews: Astrid the To-Do list App for Android

Category: Productivity
Price: Free
Gotta-have-it factor: 9

I would put Astrid in my Top Ten Apps for Android (if I had such a list (although what Android website would be complete without a Top Ten Apps list?). This is one of those apps that do so much more than I would have ever expected that I can’t believe it’s free.

I would call Astrid a simple “To-Do” list, but that would do it injustice. It’s like the A-rod of To-Do lists (i.e. it’s on steroids). Once you set up Astrid, there is a text entry box at the bottom of the screen sitting next to a ‘+’ button. You enter in the name of a task you want to complete (like “shave my back”) and press the plus button. That adds the task to your list. Once you have added a task to your list, you can select the task, which expands to reveal two buttons: “Start Timer” and “Edit.” The start Timer button obviously allows you to keep track of your time spent on that task, which can be nice if you want to know how long it takes you to shave your back.

The Edit button opens up a whole new menu that allows you to set goal deadlines and priority, manage notifications, add the task deadline to your Google Calendar, and more. The only part of Astrid that I have not tried yet is syncronization with rememberthemilk.com. I don't really need access to my tasks list online, so I'm not sure if I will ever need to syncronize with an online website. However, if I do, I will update this post with my experience.

The only negative I can think of with Astrid is that the notifications might bother some people with their “cuteness.” It doesn't bother me, and I think I pay more attention to them because they are different than the normal phone notifications.

If you are in the market for a “To-Do” list, I would definitely give Astrid a spin. For me, the Astrid App for Android gets a “9” on the gotta-have-it scale.